The Saints retained the No. 1 spot for NFL preseason TV ratings this year, averaging a 26.5 local rating in the New Orleans market. While the Saints’ average has declined for five consecutive years, the team has been atop the rankings annually since at least '10. Additionally, the market boasts the 20 highest-rated preseason games during that span. However, the club has lost one third of its viewers since its peak in '11. The Seahawks finished second for the third straight preseason, although the team’s 23.0 average rating was down 20% from '15. The Seahawks' four games on KCPQ-Fox averaged an NFL-best 407,000 viewers, even though 15 clubs play in bigger media markets than Seattle-Tacoma. Overall, the league’s local broadcasts averaged a 12.5 rating in '16, down sharply (13%) from a 14.4 last year. The league averaged a 14.5 in '14 and 14.4 in '13.
DROP ZONE: The year-over-year ratings drop at the top of the rankings was seen thoughout the league. Only six clubs saw better numbers this year. The Falcons led the way with a 15% increase, followed by the Panthers (+8%), Steelers (+6%), Broncos (+4%), and the Cardinals and Jaguars (both +2%). At the other end of the spectrum, six clubs -- the Chargers, Lions, Bears, Dolphins, Redskins and Giants -- each saw their lowest ratings in the seven years that SBJ/SBD has had full sets of preseason data. The Jets, Giants and Raiders have finished in the bottom five each year since at least '10. As it does every four years, the Olympics affected the programming of several local NBC preseason TV rights-holders. The Eagles, for example, moved their first two games from WCAU-NBC over to CSN Philadelphia and COZI-TV. All three networks are owned by Comcast.
|
'16 NFL PRESEASON RATINGS
|
|
RANK
|
TEAM |
'16 AFFILIATE(S) |
'16
|
'15
|
'14
|
13
|
12
|
|
1
|
Saints |
WVUE-Fox |
26.5
|
31.3
|
37.8
|
38.6
|
38.8
|
|
2
|
Seahawks |
KCPQ-Fox |
23.0
|
28.7*
|
24.1
|
22.3
|
13.1
|
|
3
|
Broncos |
KTVD-MyNetworkTV |
20.9
|
20.0
|
22.9
|
18.6
|
18.7
|
|
4
|
Packers |
WTMJ-NBC |
18.8
|
25.9
|
19.2
|
16.4
|
25.0
|
|
5t
|
Steelers |
KDKA-CBS |
17.1
|
16.2
|
20.1
|
23.7
|
27.1
|
|
5t
|
Bills |
WKBW-ABC |
17.1
|
23.5
|
16.6
|
15.2
|
13.8
|
|
7
|
Vikings |
KMSP-Fox |
17.0
|
16.6
|
17.4
|
16.4
|
13.3
|
|
8
|
Browns |
WEWS-ABC |
16.7
|
20.5
|
21.9
|
17.1
|
17.2
|
|
9t
|
Texans |
KTRK-ABC |
16.5
|
18.8
|
15.7
|
17.5
|
13.7
|
|
9t
|
Jaguars |
WJXT-Ind. |
16.5
|
16.6
|
16.3
|
12.9
|
14.2
|
|
11
|
Chiefs |
KCTV-CBS |
15.2
|
16.6
|
20.7
|
22.3
|
18.3
|
|
12
|
Ravens |
WBAL-NBC** |
14.4
|
16.8
|
17.6
|
20.7
|
14.3
|
|
13
|
Bengals |
WKRC-CBS |
13.7
|
15.5
|
17.7
|
15.5
|
12.9
|
|
14
|
Titans |
WKRN-ABC |
13.5
|
15.0
|
15.6
|
16.9
|
15.4
|
|
15
|
Panthers |
WCCB-CW; TWC SportsChannel |
12.2
|
11.4
|
12.6
|
14.5
|
12.5
|
|
16
|
Cowboys |
KTVT-CBS |
12.1
|
13.5
|
12.2
|
9.6
|
14.3
|
|
17
|
Patriots |
WBZ-CBS |
12.0
|
14.6
|
14.7
|
14.8
|
12.5
|
|
18
|
Colts |
WXIN-Fox^ |
11.9
|
14.4
|
13.5
|
15.0
|
19.8
|
|
19t
|
Eagles |
WCAU-NBC** |
11.2
|
16.0
|
14.2
|
13.3
|
13.9
|
|
19t
|
Cardinals |
KNXV-ABC |
11.2
|
11.0
|
12.2
|
9.3
|
9.1
|
|
21
|
Chargers |
KFMB-CBS |
11.1
|
12.2
|
16.0
|
12.9
|
12.3
|
|
22
|
Lions |
WXYZ-ABC |
9.3
|
11.5
|
11.7
|
11.5
|
10.4
|
|
23
|
Buccaneers |
WFLA-NBC |
8.5
|
11.4
|
9.0
|
9.0
|
7.2
|
|
24
|
49ers |
KPIX-CBS |
8.2
|
9.8
|
10.6
|
10.8
|
8.2
|
|
25
|
Falcons |
WUPA-CW |
8.0
|
7.0
|
6.6
|
8.5
|
6.8
|
|
26
|
Bears |
WFLD-Fox |
7.2
|
11.9
|
13.6
|
13.7
|
11.8
|
|
27t
|
Dolphins |
WFOR-CBS |
6.6
|
8.4
|
7.0
|
7.8
|
7.6
|
|
27t
|
Redskins |
WRC-NBC**; CSN Mid-Atlantic |
6.6
|
8.8
|
9.3
|
11.6
|
9.7
|
|
29t
|
Jets |
WCBS-CBS |
4.3
|
4.5
|
4.7
|
4.9
|
6.2
|
|
29t
|
Rams |
KCBS-CBS |
4.3
|
9.4
|
9.0
|
9.4
|
8.7
|
|
29t
|
Giants |
WNBC-NBC** |
4.3
|
4.6
|
5.2
|
6.1
|
5.4
|
|
32
|
Raiders |
KTVU-Fox |
3.8
|
4.6
|
4.0
|
2.6
|
5.5
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NOTES: ESPN aired 18 games from '12-15, but only one this year, and the majority of those previous broadcasts were simulcast by the local rights holder for each club. For those simulcast games, the local ratings for each broadcaster were combined for tabulation here. * = Includes only three preseason games, as ratings for Week 3 were not reported due to severe weather in the Seattle-Tacoma market. ** = Due to conflicts with Olympic programming, some games aired on a different network. ^ = Week 3 game aired on the local CBS affiliate.
